Hidden Valley Lake>> Three Bay Area men were arrested in the early hours of Thursday morning as officers continue to patrol disaster areas for potential looters.
Dyami Gene Connell and Michael James Jimenez, both of Brisbane, and David Michael Cesari of San Francisco, where taken into custody after they were allegedly caught attempting to go into an evacuated area. This makes eight arrests since Monday of trespassers.
Just before 3 a.m., a Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) deputy was conducting enforcement stops when he noticed white Toyota Tacoma with the three men turn onto Jerusalem Grade from Spruce Grove Road, Lt. Steve Brooks said.
The deputy conducted an enforcement stop and noticed driver Connell, and passengers Jimenez and Cesari where all either wearing camouflage or black clothing. They reportedly told the deputy they were going out Jerusalem Grade to get fuel.
Familiar with the area, the deputy question the men’s story which only raised more concern.
He asked the subjects repeatedly if they possessed any weapons or drugs and all three denied. However, while talking to them, the deputy reported he could also smell marijuana emitting from the passenger area of the vehicle and decided to conduct a search, Brooks said.
The officer felt a hard object in Cesari’s front-right jacket pocket and allegedly found it to be a loaded .40 caliber magazine. He then found a loaded semi automatic 40 caliber pistol tucked in the small of his back at Cesari’s waistline underneath a heavy jacket.
As he continued to search the Toyota, the deputy found a full face concealing mask, three pairs of gloves, tools, duct tape, zip ties, numerous key rings with keys, acetone, lighter, headlamps, flashlights, binoculars, empty plastic bags, empty garbage bags, backpack and large knives.
A Napa County deputy also told the LCSO deputyt that the Toyota was spotted on Cobb the night before and believed they had possibly been burglarizing residences, Brooks said. He described the vehicle as being a white Toyota with a camper shell, which matched the description of the vehicle.
Cesari, 23, was charged with possession of burglary tools, entering a closed disaster area, having a concealed unregistered firearm with ammunition, carrying a concealed firearm, carrying a loaded firearm in public and conspiracy to commit a crime. Connell, 23, was charged with possession of burglary tools, entering a closed disaster area and conspiracy to commit a crime. Jimenez, 28, was charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and entering a closed disaster area. All three subjects were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked. Their bail is currently set at $100,000.
